Test Drive
by Abicion
Summary: Just another uneventful day for the NERV crew.
1. Chapter 1

"Don't you think this plugsuit is a little revealing?"

A deep blush appeared on Hikari's freckled face. She had been selected as the pilot of NERV's newest Evangelion unit a few days earlier, and now she was riding an elevator to the top of the machine's hangar. The legs and shoulders of her jumpsuit were glossy black, matching the color of her Eva's armor, with the numbers "03" printed just below the collar. Her brown pigtails were held in place by small, black donut-shaped clasps on the back of her head.

The source of Hikari's concern was the transparent light gray material that spanned her most of her torso and the inside of her arms. This see-through portion of the pilot uniform was cut dangerously low around her lower back, and only a small section of opaque white material shielded her chest.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

Misato's voice crackled through a small speaker on the elevator. She sounded sympathetic to Hikari's plight.

"The techies told me something about how the operating system on the American Evangelions is a little more picky than ours. From what I understand, it has trouble detecting the pilot's neural patterns if anything is obscuring them, and your plugsuit was designed so the Eva will respond better to your body's movements. More skin means less interference, apparently."

Hikari looked down and quietly sighed.

"Oh. I guess I'll have to get used to it."

Misato laughed lightly.

"Don't worry, Hikari. We're already trying to update this unit's hardware. With some luck, you'll be able to use the same kind of suit as the other girls pretty soon."

Her voice changed to a more supportive tone.

"In the meantime, I can have the cameras in the entrance way shut off until you're in your cockpit. You won't have to worry about giving anyone a peep show on your way in."

A relieved smile crossed Hikari's lips.

"Thanks, Misato."

* * *

Hikari closed her eyes and relaxed into her cockpit seat as she adjusted to sensation of liquid oxygen flowing through her lungs. Her entry plug was filled with a water-like substance, and she could feel the warm fluid pressing against the thinner parts of her plugsuit. Various diagnostics flickered in the holographic screens that lined the interior of her cockpit, and a male engineer's voice soon cracked over the cockpit's radio.

"Activation is complete. Power supply is locked. Synchronization is holding steadily. We're handing control over to you, Miss Horaki."

Hikari's eyelids slowly lifted before she responded to the NERV staff member in a polite manner.

"Understood."

She gazed toward the screen in front of her to see what her Evangelion's eyes saw, then shifted her arms to grasp the cockpit controls at her sides. After taking a deep breath, she spoke in a soft, motherly voice.

"Let's go, EVA-03. Everyone's counting on us."

The dark machine began slowly lurching out of its holding bay and into the open air under Hikari's command. When Hikari became accustomed to her controls, Unit 03's baby steps became casual strides. It continued to confidently walk forward before stopping beside a trailer-sized container on the ground.

"Okay, Hikari. Here's your Eva's main long-range weapon. Once you're ready, we'll start your training. Like I said before, just shoot the targets as you see them."

The container popped open as Hikari heard Misato's voice in her cockpit. She directed Unit 03 to look downward so she can see a colossal assault rifle, scaled to fit the giant creature's hands, awaiting her in the storage garage. The sight of guns had always startled her, but she quickly put her personal fear aside before commanding her Eva to retrieve the weapon.

Steadily holding the firearm with both hands, EVA-03 now turned to a series of rolling hills and pointed its weapon into the light blue horizon. A determined expression appeared on Hikari's face as her thumb pressed a button on her controls that caused crosshairs to appear in the center of her cockpit screen. After this happened, she patiently waited for the drill to commence. When a single dummy target ascended into the air from the nearest hill, Hikari aimed her crosshairs as quickly as she could and pulled the trigger.

* * *

Hikari placed her rubbery black and gray pilot suit into the locker in front her. After closing the metal door, she reached to her collarbone to carefully adjust the ribbon of her blue and white school uniform. She was back in her civilian clothes, and her pigtails were braided with their usual pearl clasps. She turned quietly when she heard a young woman's footsteps echoing through the locker room and approaching her.

"How are you feeling, Hikari?"

The purple-haired woman was holding a folder of papers at her side when she stopped and leaned against a nearby locker. She was clearly happy and relieved, and Hikari grinned in return before replying.

"I'm fine, Misato. It felt kind of weird when I started breathing normal air again, though."

Misato nodded in understanding.

"That usually happens. The pressure difference in LCL can take some getting used to, but I'm sure you won't even notice it after a few more exercises."

Hikari now tilted her head in curiosity before questioning her superior.

"How did I do?"

Misato paused to glance over the documents in her folder. She then turned her eyes back to the anxious student.

"Your synchronization rate was great, and your reflexes were good. The Commander was grumbling about how your marksmanship was a little off, but I think you did great for your first try."

The brown-haired girl now looked toward Misato and spoke with more enthusiasm in her voice.

"Will I be able to join Shinji's team soon?"

Misato replied warmly.

"Sure. As long as an Angel attack doesn't force us to put you on the field, we always make sure you guys have a couple of weeks of basic training before you're fully enlisted."

She then lowered her voice in slight concern.

"Are you comfortable with all of this, Hikari?"

Hikari quickly responded with a delighted nod.

"Mmhmm. Now I can be the one protecting Toji for once."

Misato's expression became relieved again, and she spoke with new encouragement.

"That's good. Keep that motivation and I'm sure you'll be one of our best pilots."

She then delivered Hikari's new assignment in a stern but compassionate tone.

"You'll be trying out EVA-03's melee weapons tomorrow, so get a good night's sleep."

Hikari nodded obediently before replying.

"I'll be here."

When Misato left the locker room, Hikari spent a few more minutes gathering her personal belongings. When she finally left for the day, the only things on her mind were the happy thoughts of being an Evangelion pilot.


	2. Chapter 2

Asuka and Hikari were standing in NERV's main hangar in their respective plugsuits. The impatient redhead was standing with her clenched fists against her hips and tapping one foot against the ground, and her pigtailed comrade stood beside her with her hands folded over her waist. The two young women looked up and watched as various personnel went about preparing Evangelion Units 02 and 03 for launch. They were about to engage an enemy that had recently appeared on the ground above.

Asuka eventually turned her head to Hikari and spoke in a bored manner.

"So, this is going to be your first real Angel fight, right?"

Hikari turned her attention to her peer and nodded timidly before replying.

"Yeah. I'm a little nervous."

The long-haired tomboy looked forward again before growling slightly.

"Great. That doesn't make my job any easier."

She peered upward to make sure none of the workers were the scratching the vibrant red paint on EVA-02 before muttering her next words.

"Just stay out of my way. The last thing I need is some newbie messing up my aim."

Hikari moved her gloved hands to her sides. Her face turned to a slightly stubborn expression before she spoke in a tone that matched her partner's

"You don't have to be so bossy, Asuka."

Asuka turned her attention back to Hikari before narrowing her eyes and grumbling in disagreement.

"And why not?"

Hikari now gave a more diplomatic smile before replying.

"Because I know you're better than me. I'm not going to fool myself into thinking I'm as skilled as you and try to take command. That would probably just make things worse for the both of us. I'll follow any advice you have and let you do things your way."

Asuka found herself giving Hikari a rare look of joy in response to her words. The veteran pilot couldn't decide if she liked her brown-haired comrade for her genuinely friendly attitude, or just because the girl knew her place. Either way, an apology was in order.

"Sorry. I'm so used to working with Wimpy Boy and Robot Girl that I get carried away sometimes."

Hikari offered a grin that said "No harm done" to dispel Asuka's concern. The assertive girl's happier mood returned when she spoke again.

"Alright. When we get up there, just follow my lead and stay alert. You'll be fine."

Asuka's blue eyes then studied her new partner's nervous form, making note of the somewhat provocative quality in her black and gray pilot jumpsuit.

"By the way, what's with that plugsuit they're making you wear?"

Asuka's glossy red index finger gently poked the transparent gray material near Hikari's visible navel, causing a tiny burst of ticklish giggling to escape the brunette's mouth. Asuka then prodded the solid red latex around her own waist, apparently comparing the textures of the two outfits. A familiar blush appeared on Hikari's face, as she had become so accustomed to her unique outfit that she had nearly forgotten about its questionable design.

"Oh, this. Misato told me it was made this way so I could get a good synchronization rate with EVA-03. She said they were trying to convert the system so it would match the other Evas and I could use a standard plugsuit, but I think they ran into compatibility problems."

Asuka placed her hands back on her hips as she turned her head upward. She gazed toward the black machine slumbering in front of Hikari before speaking aloud.

"Huh. Good thing I don't have to be that Eva's pilot."

Her eyes then returned to Hikari. After scanning over the pigtailed girl's figure again, Asuka rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.

"Pervs. You can practically see her butt in that thing."

Hikari was attentive enough to hear her mentor's bitter remarks. She smiled as she calmly debated the subject with Asuka.

"Umm... I don't think it's that bad once you get used to it, Asuka. I wouldn't be able to control Unit 03 without it, and it's actually pretty comfortable when you're in the entry plug."

Asuka blew a few strands of ocre hair away from her face being responding in feigned interest.

"Right. I'll keep that in mind next time I'm thinking about using EVA-02 as a jacuzzi."

Just as the two girls had finished their conversation, they heard Misato's voice calling them from the side of the hangar's catwalk.

"Asuka, Hikari. We're ready to launch."

The two teammates nodded in unison before parting ways and approaching their respective Evangelion units.


	3. Chapter 3

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

Toji Suzuhara spoke nervously as he looked down into Hikari's playful eyes. The young couple was standing in a hallway of their school, with Hikari in her school uniform and Toji in his signature black and white track suit. Hikari had been summoned to sortie against a new enemy moments earlier and, despite her boyfriend's ominous words, she appeared to be her usual cheerful self.

"Don't be such a worrywart, Toji. I've been fighting Angels for months now. I'll be fine."

She wrapped her arms around Toji's shoulders as she rested her head against his chest. The dark-haired boy sighed in uncertainty as he wrapped his hand over her lower back.

"I guess you're right."

The confident girl stood on her loafer-clad toes to give Toji a soft goodbye kiss, then grinned as she lowered her arms.

"I'll see you when I get back."

Toji buried his doubts before nodding and replying to her with a warm smile.

"I'll be waiting."

* * *

The purple EVA-01 and the crimson EVA-02 were sprawled across the city streets like rag dolls, and an enormous monster was pinning EVA-00 to the ground. It had a vaguely humanoid shape, and it was composed entirely of a viscous, neon blue material, with some of the matter dripping from its mouth onto the forearm of the Evangelion it had captured. Unit 00's arm spasmed in pain as it was slowly contaminated with the monster's cells.

EVA-03 knelt behind its clear riot shield some distance away from the current battle. The unit's muzzled head peered around its defensive wall as Hikari aimed its rifle toward the Angel. All of her rounds hit their target, but the Angel was unfazed as the giant bullets harmlessly passed through its translucent body. It only gave up its on current effort when a small explosion originating from EVA-00's shoulder severed the machine's wounded arm.

When the behemoth abandoned Unit 00 and returned to its bulbous feet, Hikari dropped her rifle and shield, retrieved a single tonfa-style police baton from the ground beside her, and charged the creature with a loud battle cry. Just before her blunt weapon struck the enemy, the strange lifeform shifted its shape and left the black Evangelion swinging at empty air. Hikari stumbled forward as a result, allowing the Angel's amorphous "fist" to crash into her unit from behind. Unit 03 toppled face-first into a nearby building, and Hikari was quickly rattled a second time when she felt the Angel's entire weight jump onto her Eva's prone back.

As the pigtailed fighter stared at the ground through her canopy screen and struggled with her unit's controls, she could hear the voice of support member Maya Ibuki crackle on her cockpit radio from NERV's headquarters.

"We've separated the infected parts of Unit 00, sir. The Thirteenth Angel is now engaging Unit 03."

Maya's voice now became frantic and terrified.

"Oh God, it's invading Hikari's entry plug!"

EVA-03's radio soon shorted out, leaving its pilot in silence. This was followed by the cockpit screens breaking into white noise before shutting off completely, leaving Hikari's emergency power as the only source of light in her metal cocoon. Glowing blue ooze that matched the composition of the alien creature she had being battling soon breached walls of her entry plug and rapidly swarmed into its new home. Hikari gave up on her controls and crossed her arms to warm herself as the LCL she was submerged in noticeably dropped in temperature. As she did this, some of the blue fungal matter spread to her silver cockpit chair. The quivering growth moved across her seated legs and continued up her slender waist, studying her human physiology with childlike curiosity. Hikari grimaced at the cold, slimy feeling the Angel left her trapped in.

"Gross..."

As she became increasingly disgusted with her current situation, she could feel the entire pill-shaped chamber violently shake about, and she soon realized her Eva had somehow started moving again without her command. She had no way of knowing what was happening on the outside, and she spent the next several minutes wondering what had become of her teammates. At one point, she thought she heard Shinji's muffled, staticky voice scream "Don't do it!" from somewhere above her, but she had no idea what it could mean. A second later, all she could feel was the crumpled steel of her entry plug suddenly stabbing and crushing her from every angle.

* * *

Chapter 4: Bad End

Chapter 5: Katawa Shoujo End


	4. Ending 1

"We've recovered the Fourth Child. All of the vital readings on your side were right."

The sound of ambulance sirens filled the evening air as a lone NERV worker talked into his headset. He was speaking to someone at headquarters as he assisted in the cleanup effort of the now-destroyed Evangelion Unit 03 on the field. He adjusted his microphone before continuing.

"The Angel left some sort of residue on her. We had to amputate her right arm and leg to get her out."

He frowned at whatever the person in the base was saying, then spoke again.

"There's still some on her. It looks like it penetrated the weakest part of the plugsuit and grafted to her stomach. We're going to have an autopsy done before we release the body."

He shook his head and closed his eyes.

"It's messy, but COD's probably going to be massive cranial trauma."

His head then sunk downward as he massaged his forehead in grief.

"Yeah, we'll call it. Can you get someone to tell her sisters and the boyfriend?"

The man sighed regretfully and spoke into his receiver a final time before returning to his work.

"We'll finish the cleanup. Just worry about what you have to do on your end."

And so ends the tragic tale of Hikari's time as an Evangelion pilot.


	5. Ending 2

Hikari's eyes slowly opened to the blinding lights of a white hospital ceiling. When her pupils adjusted to the glare, she turned her head to investigate her surroundings. Her shoulder length chocolate hair freely sprawled across the pillows underneath her. Various vital monitors beeped around her, and the lack of windows in this place made her unsure if it was night or day. A delighted smile appeared on her face when she noticed Toji slumped asleep in a chair beside her gurney. However, her initial joyful thoughts were cut short when she shifted her attention to where her two feet should have been. Her eyes widened when she noticed an abnormality in the outline of her body underneath the hospital sheets. Her right leg was missing from the thigh down, and she soon gasped in terror and as her heart monitor began beeping rapidly.

Hearing his beloved succumb to shock, Toji quickly awoke and stood over Hikari. He reached for her shoulders and offered her a compassionate gaze as he spoke comfortingly.

"It's okay, Hikari. I'm here. You'll be fine."

His boyish face and soothing voice brought Hikari back to her senses. After her panic ended, she held both of her hands above her face, curled all of her fingers, and wiggled the toes of her left foot to make sure everything was in working order. After feeling somewhat relieved, she turned toward Toji and questioned him in a tired voice.

"How long has it been?"

Toji didn't even have to look at the calendar on the ivory wall before he answered. He'd been keeping track of his bedside vigil well on his own.

"A little over two weeks."

Hikari was startled by this news, and she took a moment to clear her thoughts before questioning him further.

"Have you been here the entire time?"

Toji stretched the stiffness out of his arms and responded in a slight yawn.

"Pretty much."

Hikari's eyes shifted downward in a look of regret when she spoke again.

"That's not going to help your delinquency record..."

He casually shrugged at this observation.

"At least I have an excuse this time. Those NERV guys figured if anyone could get you through this when you woke up, it'd be me."

Hikari eventually shook her head to ease away her concern. She then tried to offer a playful grin as she spoke.

"Sorry it took me so long to get back."

Toji returned her uplifting glance before he responded.

"Better late than never."

The injured pilot turned her head from left to right again, as if looking for other patients in the room. She then spoke in a new feeling of concern.

"How are the others?"

A telling smirk appeared on the young man's face. He moved his hand to scratch the back of his neck when he talked.

"Asuka's her usual bitchy self. She's calling herself the temporary Class Rep so no one can take your spot."

Hikari couldn't help but laugh softly before Toji continued.

"Rei's got a broken arm, but she's not complaining. Shinji's debating on whether or not he's still going to be a pilot after all of this, and Misato's been looking after Nozomi and Kodama."

She seemed especially relieved by the last part of Toji's answer. She briefly closed her eyes in relaxation.

"Tell her I said thanks."

Toji nodded before speaking.

"Do you want to know how the battle went?"

The freckled patient looked down in thought before deciding she'd rather not know exactly what had happened. She shook her head while speaking in a cheerful voice.

"That's okay. I'm just glad everyone's safe."

Now feeling the need to get out of her reclined position, Hikari pushed her covers down to her hips and tried to sit up. Midway through this action, she cried out in sharp pain and quickly placed one hand over the medical gown covering her waist. With Toji's assistance, she was eventually able to sit up with minimal discomfort. After settling back into her pillows, she gently massaged her stomach and spoke.

"It really hurts here."

Toji nodded again.

"They operated on you as soon as you were brought in. They said when your Entry Plug caved in, it did a real number on your... you know..."

His trailing words led Hikari to realize where the pain was coming from. She frowned and replied in a simple half-whisper.

"Oh."

Toji leaned closer to Hikari and brushed a few stray tendrils of brown hair away from her face. He spoke in the most comforting way he could manage.

"They said you'll be okay, but you'll never be able to have kids. You're really lucky, though. If it had been any higher, you could have gotten a shard of metal through your heart."

Hikari sighed at this bittersweet news, squeezing her eyes shut against a small flood of tears. After shaking her head slowly, she posed her next question in a sad voice.

"Is there anything else I should know?"

In response, the boy reached toward the table beside Hikari's bed and retrieved a small mirror. He handed it to Hikari in silence and, upon seeing her reflection, she turned her head so the right side of her face pointed toward the reflective glass. A thick gray scar branded her from her temple down to her neck. After tracing the rigid mark with her index finger, she realized the wound was too great to ever fully heal. She passed the mirror back to Toji and lowered her head in grief.

"Toji..."

After returning the mirror to its original place, Toji turned his attention back to his soft-spoken lover. She was staring at her hands in her lap, and he could tell she was about the break down into sobs.

"How can you still like me? I'm repulsive. I shouldn't even be considered a woman now, let alone an ugly one."

Toji shifted his hand so he could carefully raise Hikari's head and show her his supportive smile.

"You ended up like this so you could protect me. That's what really makes you beautiful."

His words were enough to bring a hint of joy back to Hikari's moist eyes. He continued speaking in the same compassionate manner.

"Besides, almost losing you made me realize just how important you are to me. Who cares if you're a little scratched up? Think of all the kids you can entertain with your great combat stories."

Happiness returned to Hikari's scarred demeanor when he finished speaking. The sorrow that had been building in her eyes was released as tears of joy, and she spoke in her usual soft, jubilant voice.

"I love you, Toji."

Feeling relieved, he answered her statement with a confident grin.

"I love you."

The two leaned forward to share a kiss that felt like it had been held off for ages, and Hikari hugged her lover with her healthy arms. When they ended their embrace, Toji was the first to speak.

"I've been thinking, Hikari. When you get better, I think we should get out of this city. All of this 'fate of the world' stuff is getting to be too much for me. I don't know where we'll go, but we'll work things out."

He glanced downward in doubt, then spoke again.

"And if the Angels ever get their way and all of this ends, at least we'll make the best out of the time we have."

The weary fighter thought to herself. Her current state caused her to shun the idea of Toji ever becoming an Eva pilot, and she soon replied to him in a happy tone.

"That sounds nice."

Toji's face beamed with approval. He then spent the next several moments simply observing Hikari's content smile before speaking again.

"Hey, Hikari..."

She turned toward him and tilted her head in response, appearing much more carefree than she had moments earlier.

"Hmm?"

Toji's hand reached forward to brush the top of Hikari's head before the young man replied.

"I never noticed it before, but you're really cute with your hair down like this."

She looked downward slightly to hide a bashful blush. When she had overcome her shyness, she resumed her discussion on the couple's future plans. After the conversation ended, Toji informed the doctors that Hikari had finally awoken. In the coming days, he played a pivotal role in her recovery and attended her rehabilitation on a daily basis. The two never left each others' sides again.

And so ends the heartwarming story of Hikari's time as an Evangelion pilot.


End file.
